Protection and maintenance plans, worth it?

[HendersonD]

We are about to purchase a 2018 Crosstrek Limited with the Eyesight Driver Assist, Nav, and upgraded sound system. There are a number of different protection and maintenance plans being offered. We live in upstate NY so we get a good bit of snow and that also means salt on the road.

• Gold Plus Protection plans that extend the warranty to as high as 10 years/100,000 miles
• Subaru added security road hazard tire & wheel protection
• 3M Scotchguard interior and exterior protection
• 10 yr/unlimited mileage rust proofing
• Prepaid maintenance plans up to 3 years/42,000 miles

Are there items in this list you would recommend?

[spicypeanut]

I got the 6 year 80k mile one though SoA for my sti. Well worth it. Had a power-steering leak which fried the entire system. Covered under warranty.

[golucky66]

Extended warranties are always a gamble. "am i going to use it" "is something going to fail that would cost more then the warranty package"

 

If the company offering the warranty isn't going to find every little loophole to not have to pay out. I'd get it if you're worried about it.

 

Most of the guys on this site do their own maintenance and R&R's. So packages like don't matter to most of us, because we'll just fix it for cheap anyways.

But if you can't/don't want to have to work on it. Sounds like a good idea.

 

As for the other options. Add those on as you see fit.

[idosubaru]

Warranties are basically insurance - so determine if they're a good deal for you, opinions on insurance vary. 

 

Services/plans - those are basically marketing and I'd avoid them.

 

With that in mind I would suggest focusing on:

 

 

• Gold Plus Protection plans that extend the warranty to as high as 10 years/100,000 miles

Are there items in this list you would recommend?

 

It's simply insurance - you're paying for something you're unlikely to need or use, but it may be a 4 digit item if it is needed.  Engines and transmissions are expensive - the cost for that plan will be less than replacing those (or large repairs), but clearly cost you more if you never need it.

 

Subaru's rolling the numbers - and the cost/offer is reasonable to them - they can't be paying out inordinately more money than they're taking in on these deals. 

 

The prices for those can be somewhat negotiable as well - so if you can get it for a reasonable rate, that's more attractive. 

[judithmrice@gmail.com]

We are buying a fully loaded Crosstrek. The dealer says they don't know yet about reliability of Eyesight and other high-tech features and they could be expensive to repair.  Anyone experienced a problem with the safety or audio interface features? 

[idosubaru]

We are buying a fully loaded Crosstrek. The dealer says they don't know yet about reliability of Eyesight and other high-tech features and they could be expensive to repair.  Anyone experienced a problem with the safety or audio interface features? 

 

rarely have issues, but expensive if it happens.   

 

Subaru generally introduces electrical systems without much glitch - engine, trans (both of which used to be computer-less), ODII, ABS, VDC, stereo's, HVAC, CANBUS, drive by wire, VVT....it's not like eyesight is different - it's just a system to implement just like they've been doing for decades. i do get it, but this isn't subaru's first time around the block and people have been mentioning similar thoughts for decades "oh those electronics aren't gonna age well...etc". 

 

I think HVAC and displays have had the most issues, if had to guess - but the sample size is relatively small for me to know.  

 

depends on your abilities and those of your mechanic/shop. by the time the warranty expires in a few years, benign parts like a display will be available used and have very little demand so they wont' be hard to find.

 

if you've got a great mechanic that will swap a used $50 display in if yours tanks that's significantly different than someone who is swapping in an OEM one for $1,000.